Customer Reviews

Change of Scenes

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Bold. Beautiful. Bad. More than anything else, "Change of Scenes" is a magnet for misapprehension. As one of the Clarke-Boland Big Band's finest recordings, it is a seething, torrential, maddeningly oblique portrait of modern creative large group jazz. Its multifarious, somewhat schizophrenic character belies the sheer technical virtuosity of the composition and arrangement, among the most assured, uncompromising charts Francy Boland ever set to paper. The playing is positively superlative, even for a group of this caliber; no doubt about it, this is hardly Getz's session to dominate. This is, in fact, the album's only genuine failing point; its true brilliance is obscured by the blinding star power of its guest tenor, reading in catalogs like just another digression in a vast catalog of Getzian tangents. The truth is, "Change of Scenes" is not a Stan Getz album. This is not to discredit the recording's apparent frontman, an adventurous improviser too often pigeonholed as a proponent of more low-key aesthetics; his contribution to the album is invaluable. However, the real star is the Big Band itself. Honestly, how can any one man stand out in a group that, at different times, boasted the talents of Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Ronnie Scott, Benny Bailey, Tony Coe, Ake Persson, Jimmy Woode, Art Farmer, Albert Mangelsdorff, and Clarke and Boland themselves (to name only a few)? Getz may be the man, but he's just one in a cast of thousands here... and it's easy to get lost.

This is not an album for reactionaries. It's gorgeous without ever sounding pretty, emotional, bombastic, and sensitively constructed. This is about as far out as a large group can get without lapsing into straight-up Sun Ra territory. For something catchy, a little fluffier, try Getz's bossa nova recordings. For more subdued, less involved charts, try "Focus." However, for all its wooly, strenuous textures, dizzying rhythmic shifts, explosive leads, and wrenchingly dynamic improvisational luster, "Change of Scenes" is an essential recording. It may not depict Getz in the most flattering light, but he's playing catch up here... this is a different ballgame. For major league listeners only... or those with big ears, anyway.

Definately one of the very best albums I have played. The scoring puts this style of big band music in a league of its own - not the usual swing you would dance to! The music undulates in tension and serenity, invoking feelings of unrest which are resolved with, what can only be described as, a wipe of the forhead and a sigh. Getz plays his sax with great diversity in tone - smooth as silk one minute, rasping the next. Any percussionists out there will surely marvel at the creativity and prominance of Kenny Clarkes drumming. The album is surely a masterpiece in musical creativity. I highly recommend you listen to this album!

This music is some of the most creative big band to ever grace my cd player.I wish it was longer.The ensemble sound is great as is the recording.... and what writing!!!!!!!

I just picked this up and this is one of the most exciting recordings I have found in a long time. This is one where you say "run, don't walk", or "if you aren't off, you better get off". It is the 1971 recording of the Kenny Clark - Francy Boland Big Band with Stan Getz. Previously issued only in Europe, it is now out on the Verve label.

Certainly the most ambitious writing I have heard coming from Boland, its very modernistic writing may remind some listeners of Bill Holman's recent Monk project. While some people may have found that particular Holman project too cumbersome or academic; or perhaps sounding too much like studio musicians; this one should present no such problems. The band is swinging hard, playing everything in stride and with spirit.

Recordings like this show Stan's greatness, it is the last type of project you would expect Stan to be a part of, yet he plays the music like he owns it.

As a Modern big band collector, Change of Scenes is one of my favorites albums of all time. To me Stan Getz is just another guy with the Great Clarke-Boland big band, He does a nice job, and it does not hurt the session, By this time Getz was wood shedding with Chick Corea and some members of the Fusion movement, I think his style became a little more fiery than before. Some of the negative reviews are laughable to me, It is very Obvious these guys come from the Neo-Con Stanley Crouch school of jazz critique. "they like their Jazz as a dead museum piece" not a living breathing organism of growth. This music is not even remotely like Late period Coltrane or Cecil Taylor or any other Free jazz, the only comparison I can give would be, Sam Rivers Crystal Album, But only a light dose of it. Come On Be fair in your reviews, If you don't like challenging music, (and this is not at all "out there") Why give a 1 star review? At least one reviewer qualified their review, by saying this was good if the Avant Guard is your Cup of tea. I will concede as far as Clarke Boland Albums, This is unusual in style, Less grounded in swing and early Bebop, and More Third Stream. and Lightly funky in spots. Stravinsky's Rites of Spring is all over this music, A lot of starts and stops, It's different. But Absolutely wonderful.

Although Stan Getz was probably the greatest lyric saxophonist ever, he was not content to sit on his laurels, and he was always experimenting with new forms.

On this CD he plays with a Big Band trying to fit into noisy 12-tone originals pieces. The result is an unlistenable disaster.

For a much better CD of Getz improvising with Orchestra, Try "FOCUS" on Verve, 20Bit.

Stan would not allow this recording be released during his life.

Not exactly a bestseller is it?

One of Getz most controversial and challenging albums.

This is a jarring concept album, much like Bernstein's Westside Story orchestral background without the lyrical parts like "Maria" etc. More like "When you're a Jet/ you're a Jet all the Way". Very 50's Urban Nightmare/Asphalt Jungle/Westside Story soundtrack.

I've gone back and listened to this again after ten years (see below) and emotionally I still don't like it, don't find it wonderful like most of Getz music, but I recognize the artistic achievement. Stan Getz, the best sax man in Jazz history, shows himself the capable of playing anything, but the music is mostly too aggressive and switchblade spikey. Who says Stan's a featherweight and can't play the tough stuff? The serene or blueszy stuff, which he does best, is far too short, only goes on for a few seconds or a minute. Ultimately like a meal with too much pepper.

"Quidproquo" maybe the best of the meager pickings here. The bi-polar tempos change too quickly to ever really develop a mood, but in places there is very touching melancholy lonely mood, without the usual Getz romance. Very anxious/angst in other places.

I think there was probably less improvization here than any other Getz album, sounds very scripted.

Sounds a little like Getz soundtrack music "Mickey One". I say, get "Focus" for a much more satisfactory musical experience of Getz with a Big Band, but if your taste runs to such things- challenging, avant-garde - it is an achievement, unlike 99% of Getz other work.

Spikey. Painfully noisey in places. avoid this CD if you value your money.

"Not for reactionaries" "Avant-garde": always code words for dissonant music!